


Keep my heart

by Saphie3243



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Other, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29548188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saphie3243/pseuds/Saphie3243
Summary: Keith has been the keeper of the gate at Garreg Mach Monastery for a few years now. It's a fun job. He likes it. He gets to witness the comings and goings of the most important people in Fodlan. But when a new professor comes to teach here, he ends up baring witness to greatest change in Fodlan's History. And maybe find love
Relationships: Gatekeeper/My Unit | Byleth
Kudos: 7





	Keep my heart

**Author's Note:**

> Gatekeeper should be romanceable. At me.

The Knights of Seiros buzzed with excitement when the new professor was announced. 

“What house?” Someone called. 

Alois checked his notebook, “Golden Deer” he answered. 

“Why not Jeritza?” someone else asked.

“‘Cause he’s a prick” another person responded. 

“Language!” Alois scolded. 

“Well he is” 

“The Professor.” Alois raised his voice again, attempting to get their attention, before dropping his tone, “is not the only change. We’d like you all to welcome back an old friend and our reinstated fearless leader, Captain Jeralt Eisner!” Alois ended his announcement with applause that echoed off of the shocked silence of the Knight’s barracks. 

A burly blonde man stepped up. His voice was gentle, hard, and commanding. 

“Hello, some of you I recognize, most of you are new. I look forward to working with you in the future,” he said. “Lieutenants, report to the front. The rest of you, at ease.” 

Everyone held their tongue until the leadership of the knights left the room. The second the door closed chatter erupted through the knights. No one really cared about the new professor with the news that Bladebreaker Jeralt Eisner had returned. Most of them were not old enough to remember his last tenure with the Knights, but they all knew his reputation. A feared and famed mercenary. A real leader, battle hardened, truly a master of his craft. His mere presence commanded respect.. 

Keith listened as stories of Jeralt were shared among his comrades. Some told tales from his old Knight days, but more and more they turned to his recent escapades. Someone piped up that the new professor had come in with him. She was his daughter. The Ashen Demon, viciously skilled, no wonder they wanted her to be a professor. 

The Ashen Demon, he thought to himself, sounds just as bad as Jeritza. 

__

He was rather pleased to be proven so incredibly wrong. 

Call her the Ashen Demon all you like. What Keith saw wandering around the monastery, seemingly entirely lost, was just a woman. Sure, a woman who could probably kill him with her bare hands, but a human all the same. One with a terrible sense of direction, from the looks of it. Though, that just might be the monastery having the worst kind of confusing layout. He was embarrassed to admit how often he  _ still  _ gets lost. She might be some mighty killer, but words of encouragement were definitely in order.

“Greetings!” he called when she walked past him. 

“Uh.. hi,” she said in a soft voice. 

“You must be the new professor, what a pleasure!” 

She didn’t respond, but didn’t seem annoyed either, so he kept talking. 

“My job is to stand here at this glorious entrance and leisurely watch the coming and goings of everyone. Make folks smile, you know?” He caught her stoic gaze and realized he might have made a mistake, telling that to the new boss’s kid. “...And by that I mean vigilantly guard this entrance with my life. No levity whatsoever!” 

She continued to stare at him, entirely expressionless. Her nickname started to make some sense as his nerves grew under that intense gaze. 

“As of now, nothing to report!” He tried to smile as warmly as possible. 

There was no change in her face, but her voice was clear and light when she responded. 

“You deserve a raise.” 

He let out a yelping laugh and she walked on. 

____

Byleth's first week of classes went… as well as expected?   
It became very clear after the first class why Rhea had chosen to make Byleth a teacher. She introduced herself to her class, and then had them spar. And they were, conservatively, very bad. They had potential, some had skill with their weapons, but they were all  _ bad _ at fighting. Assuming Rhea's goal was to both keep Byleth near her and away from her father, making her a student would just be mean. Even if she was close in age to her students, she was far and away more experienced and more competent.

Lorenz was too busy making a fuss about the rules of sparring to actually survive a fight. Raphael was big and strong, but had no idea what to do with it. Lysithia's magic was strong, but she was so slow to cast, so desperate to make every spell precisely perfect. Ignatz could barely hold his bow. Leonnie was dead set on using a lance (poorly) to show she was better than Jeralt’s kid (why?) despite clearly having a more natural affinity for archery. Marrianne barely held her sword, letting it flop out of her ginger grip as if it was a snake. Hilda actually had genuine skill and talent for combat, but for some reason kept pretending she could barely lift her axe. Claude… Claude seemed to have real training behind him - unlike most, but spent too much of the sparring match trying to suss out  _ her  _ abilities.

Watching the lions practice… it was clear that they were in for it in the mock battle.

Byleth sighed as she stared into the pond. The monastery, it was an odd place. She felt safe and on edge all at once. At peace and restless. Everyone was evaluating her, and everyone wanted something. But here, on the dock, no one cared. It was just her and the fish that seemed too eager to bite. She’d ask Seteth later if she was allowed to fish, but for now, she simply took a deep breath and appreciated the calm serenity that surrounded her. 

When her stomach grew too loud to be ignored, Byleth peeled herself off of the dock and marched up to the cafeteria, passing by the main entrance as she went.

“How was the first day of classes?” a cheery voice called out to her. 

She turned her head to him. He had greeted her the first day she arrived, too. “It was fine,” she answered.

“I hear there will be a mock battle this weekend.” 

“There is.” 

“Best of luck then, I will be rooting for the deer.” He seemed genuine. It was always odd and delightful to meet genuine sources of positivity in the world. They existed in some of the villages she had traveled through. Having one here was kind of nice. 

“Thank you….” she trailed off and angled her head. “What is your name?” 

“Keith!” he bowed his head slightly, placing a hand over his heart. 

“Thank you, Keith,” she said with a nod as she walked to the dining hall. 

**Author's Note:**

> I should be writing other stuff. Instead I edited the first chapter of a fic I started a while ago.  
> Don't expect udates often.


End file.
